ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. swing — to play on
  5. degree — an amount
  6. board — a committee
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — to get on
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stock — shares
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to tire
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com